By Peter Navarro | RealClearMarkets | April 1, 2026
The March ISM manufacturing report says something important and unmistakable: American manufacturing is expanding again.
The headline PMI rose to 52.7 in March, beating expectations and marking the third straight month above the 50 line that separates expansion from contraction. That is not noise. That is not a rounding error. That is a signal that the factory sector is moving in the right direction.
And the internals make the point even clearer.
New orders came in at 53.5. Production rose to 55.1. Supplier deliveries jumped to 58.9. Read together, those numbers tell a straightforward story. Demand is improving. Output is rising. Activity is picking up across the industrial economy.